Broadrick's industrial work experience - 83%

Before Godflesh, Justin Broadrick was Head of David’s drummer, starring the most tripped out vocalist this side of Stoner Doom, that or Lee Dorrian’s love shack (note my Cathedral review). This is the album that gave Fear Factory a unknown song to cover (Dog Day Sunrise for those watching in black and white).

To begin with, “Tequila” and “El Supremo” tell the story of bloke named El Supremo who runs a theme pub or something and goes around into other markets (a tribute to Lee Dorrian methinks). It has this guitar line that seriously owns and possibly the most bizarre lyrics this side of Strapping Young Lad (but without the swearing and triple the oddness factor). The latter song is a instrument that is basically El Supremo on a business trip (as opposed to being on an acid trip)

“Dog Day Sunrise” is the song Fear Factory on the Demanufacture album and it’s worth noting that the Head of David version doesn’t have the reverbing guitar bit that Fear Factory did for their cover and Fear Factory also had to improvise on the lyrics, mainly because Head of David can’t be arsed to publish their lyrics. Bugged has some more bizarre lyrics (“I roam the house/and found whose cut/I fumble around/for a first-aid box”) with the guitars playing rather nicely, Great White Heat is a guitar solo that is a song.

Most of the songs on the album are mainly bass driven, some good examples of this appear on the “Shadows” part of the album (the songs so far listed are on the “Rays” side). Songs like Snake Domain (with the rattle at the beginning), Pierced All Over (melodic guitars), Ditchwater (droning) and Roadkill (more trippy lyrics, dude) display the bands industrial angle with their slow chugga-ness. There are some solos thrown in for good measure (example of solo: 108, which features this line “I’m gonna whip that stubborn horse” repeated three-four times).

Broadrick also songs alongside captain stoner in certain songs and is angry in comparison, note the word 'angry'. As we get to the end of the album, the vocals of Captain stoner and Justin ‘angry’ Broadrick are getting pitchshifted in various ways – Grand Rift Faultline had Broadrick’s vocals completely distorted while Captain stoner’s was dubbed in water in Adrenicide and Pierced All Over(!)

The production has Captain stoner’s vocals buried in the mix at the sometimes, but I guess that’s what makes him sound stoned in the first place and you may have to turn the volume up to hear him. Broadrick’s drumming was machine-like in execution and possibly an influence that inspired him to form Godflesh and the industrial flavour as well.

As for Head of David, well, Captain stoner and pals split up after the Broadrick-less Seedstate and disappeared down the cracks of music history - oh well "He's a man called El Supremo/he runs a place called Voodoo Shack/as he travels round and round the world/turns his hand to anything".